


Firefly Sickfics

by Salamandersickfic



Series: Firefly sickfic drabbles [1]
Category: Firefly
Genre: But they DO try, Fever, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Simon Tam, Sickfic, Sneezing, cuteness, not always very well, sick Kaylee Frye, the crew take care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2020-09-29 19:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20441024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salamandersickfic/pseuds/Salamandersickfic





	1. Kaylee/ Simon

Simon was caught by surprise when arms were wrapped around his waist and a familiar head rested against his back.

“Hey River.” He smiles. She is so light on her feet that catching him by surprise is the norm. 

She squeezes him and lays her head against his shoulder, murmuring in his ear. “I’m sorry you're sick.” 

“I… what?” 

“Rhinovirus. Your temperature is slightly elevated, mucus membranes swollen-“

“What?”

Simon races to catch his sister’s rapidly moving chain of thought and scans his body thoughtfully. Ok, maybe his throat is a little sore, has been all day, but this is more of River’s wandering nonsense surely.

“I don't have time to play now, mei-mei.”

“Not playing. Histamine reaction and swelling in your mucous membranes might make you-“ 

She doesn't need to finish because Simon feels what she has already sensed- the swelling in his sinuses coalescing into a tingle that sets him sneezing tightly against his other shoulder. 

“USSCChuh!

He raises his head to scowl at her. The rapid motion has brought on a headache behind his eyes and his nose is dripping slightly.. It's as though her naming it for his has brought the symptoms on. 

River just smiles at him, head tilted slightly to one side, smug in her prescience.

Simon is not too old to swat at her. She dodges easily. 

“Mal’s right. You're creepy.”

“Maybe I'll take over as Doctor.” River says dreamily. 

“ESSCChue!”

“Bless you. A sneeze can spread approximately one hundred thousand virus particles.” She tells him seriously.

Simon has to laugh. “Seriously River, I'm perfectly functional. But Gods help the crew.”


	2. 2. Simon/ Kaylee

Simon has to admit to himself that he feels awful. The headache and scrape in throat are bad enough, worse was the constant, constant need to sneeze. He is trying to take an inventory of the med bay and put together a list of requests for the crew’s next trip planetside, but this virus is wreaking havoc on his concentration. 

He considered wearing a face mask but the risk of being seen and the ribbing he would get from the rest of the crew is hardly worth it. Simon is aware he is considered a prissy, overly neat- 

“USChuh!” He sneezes before he can help it, barely turning his head into his shoulder again. 

“Bless you.!” A cheerful voice from the corridor.. Simon starts, but it’s only the ship’s mechanic. He makes out her face through bleary eyes before his lashes are forced to flutter shut in another fit of sneezes.

He tries to keep them as contained as he can but he can't help the sound, which must be nearly as unpleasant on the ears as it is through his throat. 

“Wow, bless you!” 

She’s still there, listening. 

So much for any chemistry between them ever again.

Maybe she’ll move on and leave to his misery-

Kaylee comes through the door and approaches, one hand in the pocket over her overalls. Her hair is spilling loose from a ponytail and a little is caught on the smear of oil on her cheek. She looks so, so much better than Simon feels. 

Mostly because he has to sneeze again.

“Simon, are you alright?” Kaylee puts a hand on his arm, looking him over before making the assessment. “Apparently not.”

Simon squirms, not sure where to look. He's not used to being on this end of a clinical assessment and has always, always hated it.

“I… seem to have developed an upper respiratory infection.” He stutters. Kaylee blinks at him. He waves his hand. “a rhinovirus.”

“A rhinoceros?” Kaylee laughs, puzzled but amused by the doctor’s reticence.

“… I have a cold.” Simon feels a stupid blush creeping over his cheeks. 

“Yeah I figured. Why didn't you say so?” 

Simon sits down on the bench in defeat and Kaylee immediately sits beside him, leaning comfortably against his arm despite how he stiffens.

“Don't be weird. Everyone gets sick.”

“I don't.” He says grumpily, snapping at her as though she were his sister. 

“Sure.” Kaylee shrugs. “Mal and Zoe are the same. Bless you-“

Her preemptive words catch him just as he sneezes again, twisting his body away as best as he can. She doesn't flinch but rests a warm hand on his back. It feels nice. Really nice.

“Come on, Doctor. I'm gonna make you the best cup of tea this side of the ‘verse and nothing you say can stop me.”


	3. Kaylee/Simon

When Kaylee turns away again and sneezes into the air, Simon raises an eyebrow and looks at her more closely. They've been on this little moon since yesterday evening and she has been sneezing with increasing frequency, runs of two or three that bend her nearly double and throw her hair into her eyes. 

She swipes her nose on her sleeve and then catches him staring, blushes and reaches to blow on a swatch of rag from the top pocket of her overalls. It has a faded floral pattern and black grease stains. Simon can't decide whether this is an improvement or not, hygiene wise. He also can't decide whether he finds it charming. 

He keeps a discreet eye on Kaylee as they move through the rest of the day. If anything, the slight symptoms give him an excuse to keep her in his sight as they wander through the marketplace and between docked ships. She is always worth watching, even on her worse days. 

That evening on Serenity she is much the same. After dinner a few of the crew remain in the common area. Kaylee is among them, sitting cross legged on the floor to take apart the delicate looking component she traded for earlier that day. Simon is trying to read but he keeps looking up every time he hears a shivery, feminine gasp before she sneezes again. She's starting to sound tired of it. 

The other crew don't seem to have noticed, with the improbable exception of Mal, who cuffs her affectionately on the back of the head as he passes and asks, “ ain't you quit that yet?”  
“Would if I could.” Kaylee shrugs without looking up, scrubbing her nose again. 

Eventually she gets up and goes to her room.

Simon makes a decision and heads after her, via the infirmary. 

He taps the door and stands examining the fairy lights for a moment before she opens it. She stands backlit in warm light from a single lamp, her overalls folded down to the waist and a blanket draped over her shoulders. 

“Hey you,” she says. “Everything alright?” 

“Fine. I thought you could use these. For your allergies.”

Simon holds out a blister pack of pills. Kaylee looks at them and blinks, brown eyes bigger than usual.

“That's real sweet of you,” she begins, “but I ain't got allergies.”

“Oh.” Simon lowers the packet with a nervous laugh. “Oh. I must have been mistaken. I just thought- you seemed to be having a histamine reaction and I- are you sure?” 

“I'm –snf- sure. I just-” her face scrunches and she scrubs a wrist over the nose. Simon blinks. Ok, unhygienic and adorable. 

“I'm-” her whole body shivers as she dips her head into her shoulder. “I- I'm- ISCH! -ISSH! -ISCHue!”

She looks up, bleary eyed and laughs at her timing. “No allergies, just old fashioned under the weather I guess.” 

“Oh. Alright. Well. Do you want me to check you over?”

“It's really nothing. Just sniffles.” She shrugs, but steps back to allow him into her bedroom. He thinks he sees her kick some things from the floor under the bed and she hastily smoothes the covers on her bed to make a place to sit. 

Simon’s heart beats uncomfortably in his chest as he sits beside her. He is not at all sure if she’s flirting with him, more than she flirts with anyone. He decides he had better check her temp, feel the glands under her slender neck and maybe listen to her chest. Just to be safe.


	4. Kaylee/Inara

It is late in the evening and the lamps in Inara’s shuttle are dimmed to a glow, their light playing off of the sumptuous drapes that soften the contours of the space. The woman herself sits in front of her communication screen, sorting through messages. She wears a loose silk robe and her hair is unbound, spilling down her back in waves.

She turns her head at the gentle knock on the door.

“ ‘Nara, you busy?” 

“Kaylee? Come in, sweetheart.” She calls without turning around.

The ship’s mechanic enters the space tentatively, as she always does, self conscious of her overalls and grease-stained hands against the surroundings. She looses some of her shyness when Inara rises and embraces her warmly, enveloping Kaylee in her subtle perfume. 

“Could you wait while I finish these?” Inara asks, gesturing at the screen. “Then I'll be all yours. There's some tea on the table.”

“Sure thing,” Kaylee nods. 

The girl sits on a low cushion and duly pours herself a cup of tea. 

Inara tries to keep working but is distracted by the sound of Kaylee sneezing. 

“IDgsh! --DSTch!”

The first few times, Inara blesses her in Mandarin without looking up from the screen. 

After a particularly savage one, she sets down her notepad and turns to face the girl who is sniffling behind her. “Bless you, Kaylee!” She exclaims.

Kaylee sniffles and dips her head, cheeks pinkening. “Sorry, 'Nara. I don't mean to disturb you.” 

“You're not, I'm done now- bless you-” Inara murmurs preemptively as Kaylee draws in a shallow gasp and sneezes for what must be the eight time. 

“-htzSschUe! … ugh. Scuse me.” 

“Bless you.” Inara repeats, coming to sit beside her beloved girl. When they embrace, Kaylee leans her head into Inara's shoulder as though it is too heavy for her to hold. She coughs a little as she does so- Inara can feel her trying to hold it in but she can also feel her ribs kicking. 

“Sweetie, you don't sound well.” Inara murmurs into her hair. 

“I guess.” Kaylee shrugs. She withdraws from the embrace and looks Inara in the eye. Her nose is pink from rubbing and she looks tired. Adorably so, Inara thinks privately. Kaylee frowns and makes as though to get up. “I don't- I mustn't get you sick-”

“I don't mind about that.” Inara says, laying a hand on the mechanic's shoulder to keep her sitting down. 

“You sure?”

“Positive. Come and lay down with me a little.”

Kaylee doesn't protest that and follows the Companion to her luxurious bed. Inara sits up at the head and makes a space for Kaylee in her lap- it's a familiar position for them while reading or while Inara brushes Kaylee's hair- but now Kaylee lays her head down and Inara simply strokes the length of her back. It's warm in the shuttle but the tiny hairs on Kaylee's arms stand up and Inara's hand is drawn to them at once.

“You're shivering,” she says, and draws a wool blanket from beside the bed to drape over the girl in her lap. She tucks it in indulgently around Kaylee's sides and over her own legs. “Is that better?”

The girl in Inara's lap nods. She manages a few minutes of peaceful rest before shuddering into another set of tight, congested sneezes. “ --Idgsh!--IDgsh!--DSTch! ” 

At this she half-rises, trying to turn her face from Inara as best she can. In the break between sneezes she fishes a handkerchief out of her pocket and tucks her nose into it for a sheepish blow. She barely finishes before she has to sneeze again. 

Inara winces at the heavy, scraping sound. “You don't sound well at all.” 

Kaylee coughs. “Sorry.” 

“I didn't mean that. Poor love. Let me have a look at you-”

Inara pushes herself over and comes to sit by Kaylee on the bed. She takes the girl's face in her hands and turns it towards her. Kaylee scrunches up her face and looks down, embarrassed, as Inara's fingers travel down to her neck and feel the tender glands there.

“Does your throat hurt?”

“A bit. More my head.” 

Inara nods and tests Kaylee's forehead with the back of her hand, feeling for fever. She compares against her own head and shrugs. She finishes with a gentle kiss to the warm skin. “I don't think you have a fever, but I want you to tell me if you feel worse, ok? And I'm going to get you some pain pills.” 

She goes to the dresser and pulls out the little laquered box that contains some medical supplies.

Kaylee blinks at her in wonder. “They teach you Doctorin' at Companion School?”

“Not like that.” Inara laughs, passing over two capsules and a glass of water. “But they do teach how to read people and to make them comfortable in whatever way you can. There's a lot more to my work than just the sex, you know.”

“I know. You make me feel real good whatever we're doing.” Kaylee says sleepily. She is overtaken by a yawn and lies back on the bed, head buried in her arms against the light. 

Inara instinctively dims one of the lamps before she comes back over. The shuttle is almost completely dark and very quiet. The low hum of Serenity's engine can be heard in the background and a few lights play across the console. She takes a moment to gaze fondly at the young woman on her bed; Kaylee's hair is falling across the pillow, half-out of a ponytail, leaving the freckled nape of her neck exposed. She is still shivering occasionally and sniffling more often still with the tight, unproductive sound of the thoroughly congested. Inara feels a warm fondness for the woman on her bed and a deep reluctance to let her go. She is never short of people to have sex with, but she can be a little short on female friends, and Kaylee is a delightful combination of both. 

“Do you want to sleep here with me tonight?”

Kaylee looks up and her eyes widen, huge and hazel brown. “You haven't gotta do that.” She says. “You're being real sweet to me.” 

“I know. Do you want to? It's cold in the bunks down there and it's late already.” 

“I... Yeah. I'd like that. I don't have my nightie or anything but I can go get-”

“I'll lend you one. You're not going anywhere like that.” Inara says firmly and Kaylee closes her eyes again. 

“I love it when you tell me what to do.” She says, only half joking.

….....

A little while later the two women lie together in Inara's enormous bed, under a mound of silk covered comforters. Inara has drawn the drapes around and it is dark and intimate inside. Kaylee still shivers now and then but Inara holds her close, letting her head rest in the crook of her shoulder while her other hand combs the tangles from her hair.

They are almost asleep when Kaylee sits up suddenly, drawing a startled shuddering breath.

“Wait- I gotta- -” She tips into her cupped hands with fit of sneezes that make her shudder. Inara doesn't let go and simply rubs the woman's back until she is finished.

“Bless you.” Inara says fondly. 

“Ugh, I'm sorry.” Kaylee groans. She blows her nose thickly into the hankie Inara has lent her and chases it with another sneeze. “-idh-SschUe! Sorry.”  
“Don't say sorry. Poor sweetheart, you sound awful.”

Kaylee replies with a muffled sound and shamelessly buries her face into Inara's neck, bringing their bodies as close together as she can manage. Their thighs twine together, silk on silk.

There is peace for a long moment, then- 

“'Nara...” Kaylee says very quietly.

“Yes darling?”

“You're still gonna want to … sleep with me sleep with me... after this, right?”

“Oh Kaylee.” Inara's warm laugh fills the shuttle and she pulls the her tighter still, planting a fond kiss of the top of her head.


	5. Kaylee & Mal

The ships mechanic passes Mal in the corridor with a dreamy expression.

“Where you going girl?” he demands.

“Getting the- getting- gee Capn’, I don't remember.”

“Kaylee…” Mal tried to sound authoritative.. “ That's three times the lights have gone off in the galley and folks need to see up there.”

“Is it? Sorry Capn’. Must have knocked something loose when I moved the reactor coil over. I can fix it right away.” 

Her voice doesn't sound quite right and something makes Mal suspicious. He catches her shoulder as she tries to pass him and turns her to look at him.

“Where you really going?”

“I said I dunno. Guess I'll go down and take a look at that coil for you.” 

She sags slightly in his grip. Mal can't help but notice how pale she is and immediately tallies it with the shadows under her eyes.

“Kaylee, you feelin’ alright?”

“I'm shiny,” she says, but he can feel her shivering.

“You look like hell.”

Kaylee pouted. “That's real mean, telling a girl that.”

“Nah, I mean… reckon you're getting sick.” He sticks a hand on her forehead and draws it back as though burned.

“Get your ass to the infirmary, I ain't having you give this to the rest of the crew, dong ma?” 

She nods sullenly, saying under her breath. “I do feel kinda funny.”

Mal makes up his mind and scoops an arm around her shoulders. “Reckon I'll walk you there, so as you don't get lost, little girl.”

“Shiny” Kaylee say, leaning into him.


	6. Kaylee & Jayne

Jayne doesn't have to look hard to find the ship’s mechanic. The hammock in the engine room is a piled with a dragon’s hoard of blankets and comforters. A dark head of hair is just visible at one end.

“You missed dinner. Mal wouldn't let me eat yours.” Jayne says, and unceremoniously rips the blankets back to reveal Kaylee with flushed cheeks and bedhead, eyes squinted against the light.

She wrenches the covers off of Jayne and tries to tuck herself back in.

“Cold.” is all she says.

“It ain't cold!”

“S’cold. Leave me alone.” She pulls the blankets back over her head and rolls over, turning in on herself like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Jayne shrugs and backs away a few paces with his hands raised in an exaggerated gesture of defeat.

“_hhh- __**ISSCh**__ue!_” The mound of covers quivers visibly when Kaylee sneezes.

A pause and a thick, uncomfortable sigh before she sneezes again.

The effect would be pretty funny if it wasn't for how _wrecked _the girl sounds afterwards.

Hang on a minute….

Jayne approaches and rips the covers off a second time, this time revealing Kaylee’s face half covered by the grease-strained rag she's been using as a tissue.

“You look like shit,” he says, and without further ado he reaches down and scoops the mechanic up, blankets and all.

She struggles and yells but he can tell her heart’s not in it. She must be feeling rough to have so little fight in her.

“Hey. Hey! I'm taking you to see the doc. I can drop you if you want.” He threatens.

He does no such thing.

When he comes out into the common area, Kaylee rouses a little more, enough to say, “not the infirmary.”

“huh?”

“I don't want the doc to… see me like this.”

“Like…. Oh. Yeah. You look like death warmed up.”

“Can I come down?”

“Uh-uh, I'm taking you to your room.”

Jayne is as good as his word. Even with her own weight in comforters, Kaylee is barely a burden and he deposits her in her own cabin without breaking a sweat.

Kaylee lies where she’s dropped, head against the pillow, and gives him a sleepy smile. Jayne feels like a million dollars when she smiles like that, even if she looks like shit.

For a moment Jayne isn't sure what to do next. He looks at the crumpled blankets and reaches to pull them over Kaylee, covering the exposed flesh at her collarbone, which he can see is pricked with goose pimples. That's what Mama Cobb would do.

“Get some rest. If you got me sick I'll shoot you in the head.” He says affectionately, and tiptoes from the room.


End file.
